


Old Pale Soul

by ToothPasteCanyon (DannyFenton123)



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Gen, Post-Apocalypse, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-06-12 21:00:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15348618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DannyFenton123/pseuds/ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: Twenty six. That was how many apocalypses the Earth had been through. Alcor was finding it hard to care about this latest one, but something different would happen to a Mizar down in that destruction. Something he'd never seen before.





	1. Chapter 1

Alcor was a lot more relaxed about apocalyptic events than your average guy. He’d lived through twenty six, after all.

                (And if you ask him why an all-powerful demon like him let twenty six apocalypses happen, he’ll sweat and stutter and change the subject to that time he cut a meteor in half, because you want to hear that story, right? Yeah, it’s awesome, you’ll love it, here it goes-)

                So when one government drew a summoning circle and enlisted the help of Jaggia the Plague in a little dispute, all of a sudden half of the globe was coughing their lungs out in the streets and Alcor? He could only shake his head. Come on, guys, this is almost exactly what caused number twenty five! You at least held out for three apocalypses before destroying yourselves with nuclear hellfire again.

                Mortals. They never learned, and now it was going to be boring again for another century or so. Bummer. He decided to sulk in the Mindscape for a little while; maybe they’d put themselves back together by the time he came out. Just in time for twenty seven, right?

                But while it seemed like just another apocalypse to Alcor, he’d remember number twenty six. He’d remember Matthata Vite, monster hunter extraordinaire currently on the trail of a cult of vampires preying on settlements in the Black Hills of Arizona.

 

* * *

 

It was a long ride down the I-17. Longer in a bike. The skies were clear, blue and bright, and the sun beat down on two riders as they pedaled side by side on the cracking, baking tarmac.

                The heat was palpable – visible, even, with the mirage of ever-fading water up ahead. Hot air rushed past their faces, and their white clothes were soaked with sweat. Often, they would reach to their waist, unhook a flask and take a long gulp of cool water before reattaching it with practiced ease; they didn’t even have to look.

There was no breath for talk, but occasionally one of them – the younger one with the smaller backpack – would let out a grunt of effort, and the other would glance over, give a quick, proud smile if she caught her eye, before returning to the road ahead. The smile would fade as quickly as it came, fade to a dark, watchful determination.

                It was not the beautiful red rock of the mountains she was on the lookout for, nor was she counting the pale green shrubs that dotted the desert. She wasn’t looking for cars, either; it had been a long time since any of those came down this road.

                No, she was looking for the crosses. They came in clusters on the right side of the road, forests of tall beams – sometimes wood, sometimes metal – rising out of the dirt and casting dark shadows towards the tarmac. Nails were driven into the crossbeams, one on each side, and they were loose. A good inch was exposed between the crossbeam and the head. A red line encircled the base, about a foot in every direction.

                She couldn’t see such fine details from the bike, of course. But she had inspected so many crosses like these, and she knew what to expect. She knew, for example, that the red lines in the dust formed the symbol of Jaggia the Plague. She knew the rush of cold she would get whenever she stepped inside one of them, even on the hottest summer day, the unmistakable feeling of a _presence_. She knew every cross was a victim, every cross was a human life bitten and drained by vampires, their dying, turning bodies nailed to crosses and left to die as some twisted offering to their god.

                This was what Matthata Vite knew. This was what she came to put a stop to, before every last soul in Arizona turned to dust on these crosses.

                The crosses came closer, closer, looming high over her head, and then they passed, down the road, gone. Matthata shivered, and spared a glance at the rider beside her. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought her niece along.

                …No. Ayski could handle herself. And besides, there was nobody better at vampire hunting than Matthata; she was safer out here than she was back in the Hills. Yeah! They were the dream team. Dream duo. Dream… dream something. Whatever. She was too hot to do words; she’d think later.

                For now, they rode on.

 

* * *

 

                Sunset came as a relief to the pair, who were so sweaty they would’ve been drier if they swam the whole way. But as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, shadows lengthened, and what had once been a bush or an old sign was now featureless, formless, and unknown.

                Vampires were creatures of the night. Only an idiot would keep stalking them in their domain, and Matthata didn’t think herself an idiot. It was time to rest.

                They slowed down by a curve in the road. Matthata put one foot on the ground, and instantly she felt all the day’s efforts catch up with her. Her legs felt weak and trembly; she perched on the bike as she brought her backpack around and began to rummage through it.

                “Phew,” She could hear Ayski saying from behind her. “That was… a workout! I’m pooped. Are you, Auntum?”

                Matthata smiled. “Pooped? Psh.”

                “What, you’re not tired?”

                “What’s… ‘tired’? I’ve never heard of this ‘tired’ you speak of.”

                Ayski snorted. “You’re ridiculous. Yeah, it wasn’t that long. I bet I could do twice that!”

                “Oh, really.” She raised her eyebrows. “I thought you said you were pooped?”

                “No I didn’t!”

                “Oh, yes you did.”

                “No, I was just joking! I’m good to go!”

                “Oh, okay then,” Matthata drew out a metal box. “Then you’re good to go and do the garlic circle, right?”

                Ayski skipped over to take it. “Yep! I draw the lines, put it in and then bury it. Not too much, not too little!”

                Matthata ruffled her hair as she passed. “Atta girl. I’ll set up camp. Race you!”

                The skies darkened as they worked. The brilliant orange sunset faded to a muddy reddish glow behind the silhouetted mountains. By the time a tent had been erected, garlic lined around the perimeter and a fire set in the centre, all was black. The only light came from the orange flicker of the fire, and the stars above.

                Crickets chirped in the wilderness. Matthata drew her bag up to the fire and sat down on it, warming her hands. Temperatures plummeted as soon as the sun set and she had suddenly begun to feel quite cold in her thin clothes.

                “Brrr.” Ayski said as she drew her bag up next to her. “It’s almost kinda chilly now. Why’s that?”

                “No humidity, no clouds, nothing to keep the heat in.” Matthata flipped her wrist and began warming the back of her hand. “Soon as the sun goes down, it all starts escaping into space.”

                “Huh.”

                “You know, this reminds me of camping. Back when I was a kid, before the- before you were born.” Matthata smiled. “My parents would ship me off to my aunt and uncles down in the Californian Isles. It was always a blast – I never wanted to leave!”

                Ayski smiled. “Hey, that’s like what we’re doing!”

                “In a way, yeah.” Matthata leaned forwards. “Roast marshmallows on the fire, climb trees, try catching fish – heh, key word is ‘try’ there. I might’ve been more successful if I had an actual fishing rod, but no, I was too good for those. Rope and a stick and some of my uncle’s bread, and I was convinced I gonna fish the river dry.”

                They shared a good laugh at that. Matthata looked up at the sky, and her smile faded.

                “Simpler times, back then. Simpler times.”

                There was a pause. Crickets chirped and fire crackled, and Ayski nodded along, wearing an sombre expression on her young face.

                Then, she spoke.

                “Was… was Dad there?”

                Matthata jerked up at that. “What?”

                “In California with you?”

                “Oh. Oh, of course he was. My parents needed a, a full on break from the two of us, you know?” She chuckled. “No, he was there. We were always together, always cooking up some plan or plot or another; once we went exploring into some caves, and we found the remains of an old cult. Summoning circles on the floor, books, chalk markings, the whole deal.”

                “Did they come back and get you?”

                “That’s what your Dad was worried about. Soon as he saw that, he was like, ‘Nope! I’m out! Not happening!’ I wanted to explore the cave, but he really put his foot down there. That did not happen often, I tell you.” Matthata stared deep into the flames. “I was a bit of a pushy kid. Thought I was so much cooler than my dorky little brother, you know? Took me a while to realize that he was pretty awesome too.”

                Ayski leaned on her arm. After a moment, Matthata pulled her in close. She looked down at her, and smiled.

                “You remind me of him, you know that?”

                “Why?”

                “Well, he was kind, he was smart – he was a bit of a dork, but look who’s talking – and, well, he knew how to cheer you up, you know? You could just talk to him, and he’d just listen. He always made time for you.”

                “I wish I could have met him. Properly, you know?”

                Matthata squeezed her shoulders. “I wish you could’ve too. He loved you so _much_.” Her voice cracked a little. She rubbed her eyes. “And he’d be so proud of you, he really would. Helping out your old Aunty M, travelling across the country, starting to go on missions… I mean, he’d have a heart attack about all the stuff I let you do, but I know he’d be proud.”

                “He’d have a heart attack?”

                “Kid, the first time I met you he wouldn’t even let me hold you. I just got back from an expedition covered in squid ink – which I washed off! – but he said I smelled too bad.”

                She snorted. “Why were you covered in squid ink?”

                “I don’t even remember, but I’m sure it’s a hell of a story.”

                They stayed like that for a while, casting one shadow into the darkness. Matthata looked up, saw the sky awash with stars, and the faint, glittering clouds of the Milky Way as they plunged into the horizon. And suddenly, she felt so very small, so very insignificant. Nothing out there really cared if she lived or died, if she succeeded or if she failed. No matter what happened, the stars would keep shining, and the Earth would keep turning, and the Universe would move on. They didn’t care, so she had to care. She had to change things if she wanted things to change, and she had to protect the people she loved, because God knows that nobody else would.

                “Wow.” Matthata said.

                “What?”

                “The sky’s beautiful tonight.” She rubbed Ayski’s arm, trying to warm away the goosebumps. “You know, you never used to see skies like these; not so close to a city like Phoenix, anyway. Too much light pollution.”

                After a moment, Matthata eased herself up from her seat.

                “Welp, we’ve got a big day tomorrow. Vamps to catch. You ready to hit the hay?”

                “Yeah! I’m tired.”

                She grinned. “I knew it.”

                “Wha-! Hey! You are too! You’ve gotta be!”

                “What?”

                “You’re tired too!”

                “Hmm. You keep saying that word, but I still don’t know what it means. ‘tyyyard’? ‘tiiireed’? I’m just not getting it…”

                Ayski gave her a shove. “You’re being ridiculous, Auntum.”

                “And I hope I never stop.” She held up the tent flap. “After you, droopy eyes.”

                They went in the tent, and zipped up the flaps, and once again all was silent but for the sounds of the desert, all was dark but for the flickering fire. All was dark, formless, and Matthata could be forgiven for failing to notice some unsettling shapes hidden within.

                If she’d known how close their tent was to a cross, for example, she would have chosen a different spot. But she didn’t see it looming over their camp, faced almost directly east to where the sun rose.

                Matthata Vite knew a great many things. But omniscient, she was not.


	2. Chapter 2

                Matthata woke up to the glow of the morning light against her tent. She sat there, eyes open, enjoying the warmth of her sleeping bag for just a few more moments. Then, with a sigh, she sat up and threw it off.

                Next to her, Ayski let out a groan and rolled over. Matthata smiled, quietly unzipped the tent flap and snuck outside.

                It was very early, and still very dark. Wispy clouds had swept in during the night, and they were all kinds of purples and oranges as the sun rose. The fire had timed out; she picked up her old, dented fire box and wound up the crank. She set it back down, and a moment later fire sprang from the top, just as warm and bright as last night.

                Matthata took a second to warm her hands, and then she fished in her backpack for her water racquet. She drew it out, and began swinging it in the air. After a few seconds, she checked the filter.

                Not much water. Jeez, talk about a dry heat. She kept swinging.

                Behind her, there was a rustle as the tent flaps parted.

                “Morning, Auntum.”

                “Good morning, sleepyhead! Big day today!”

                “Yeah.” She rubbed her eyes. “What can I do?”

                Matthata passed her the racquet. “How’s about you do this while I heat breakfast up? Remember, keep a tight grip, and aim away from my face. Don’t want a repeat of Vegas.”

                Ayski giggled. “That was funny.”

                “Heh,” Matthata rubbed her nose. “Still crooked. Anyway, all I could find in town was Mexican food, so I hope you’re cool with that again.”

                They worked quickly as the skies brightened. As Matthata heated burritos over the fire, she could hear the _swish swish_ of the water racquet. It paused, and she could see Ayski start to dig around in her backpack. She drew out a silver flask, and Matthata shook her head.

                “Not that one. That’s for holy water.”

                “Oh! Sorry.”

                “No worries. Here,” She fished out a clear bottle and handed it over. “This is what you’re looking for.”

                “Thanks, Auntum.”

                Ayski carefully twisted off the end of the water racquet and poured the contents into the bottle. As she did, she kept glancing down at the flask.

                “Uh, Auntum?”

                “What’s up, kid?”

                “What _is_ holy water?”

                “It’s water with holes in it.”

                “What? That’s doesn’t make-“ Ayski made a face when Matthata turned to grin at her. “No, seriously! What is it?”

                “That’s a good question.” Matthata leaned back, and passed her a burrito. “Probably water with stuff added to it. I don’t know what that stuff is, but it works wonders against all sorts of monsters. They don’t fight as well when their faces are melting off, see.”

                “I haven’t seen you use it before.”

                “Yeah? Because the stuff’s bloody hard to come by these days.” She picked up the flask and shook it. “This is all I’ve got, so I make it last.”

                She sat down next to Matthata. “When would you use it?”

                Matthata grinned. “So many questions - I love it! You’re gonna be a regular old demonologist by the time I’m done with you. Look here,”

                She reached down to her belt and unhooked a small, corked bottle. She passed it to Ayski.

                “I always keep a few drops handy – I’ll know when I have to use it. It saved my life once, might do it again.”

                Ayski stared up at her with wide eyes. “What happened?”

                “Oh, it was maybe twenty, thirty years back? This, uh, TV show – _Mega Magic Explosions_ , that’s the one. Hell of a show. Anyway, they hired me on as the expert demonologist, and we were summoning, uh, - what’s his face – Vegatonne the Volatile. They only accepted summoning circles drawn in gunpowder, which was a pain in the ass with all the candles, but whatever.” Matthata scratched her chin. “Anyway anyway, we’re summoning this guy, and I step on the circle. Oops. Now we’ve got an angry demon ready to explode in the studio, and I’m ten inches away from them. What do I do?”

                She pointed to the bottle. “You used the holy water?”

                “Yep. Splashed it right in their face. Held them off long enough to repair the circle.” She plucked the bottle out of Ayski’s hands and fastened it back on her belt. “Then I got fired, but hey, you live and you learn, right? Besides, I got hired right after that. Got to go on an expedition to the Arctic Circle to recover the sunken treasures of a sea-cult. Brought holy water with me to that one, I’ll tell you.”

                “What happened with that?”

                Matthata looked down, and chuckled at Ayski’s captivated gaze. “I’d tell you, but then you’re not gonna eat your breakfast. Stuff it down the hatch; we got a long day ahead of us.”

                While Ayski chowed down, she stood up and went to dismantle the tent. The task was almost second nature, and as she was bundling it up, she glanced up and noticed the wooden frame of a cross looming uncomfortably close to camp. Golden sunlight grazed the very tip of the beam.

                So that was there, apparently. Matthata finished wrapping the tent and backed away from it.

                “Oh,” Ayski said as she stuffed the bundle in her backpack. “Here comes the sun.”

                That fired off something in Matthata’s brain, and she sung, “ _It’s alright_.”

                “Huh?”

                “Do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do!”

                “Is that a song, or…?”

                “It’s the Beatles, A.  You’ve never heard of the Beatles?” At her blank stare, Matthata sighed. “Welp, I officially feel old. Gross.”

                “What? You’re not old! You’re really cool!”

                Matthata chucked. “It’s not one or the other, kiddo. But hey, that means I’m old and cool, right?” She bent down to pick up the fire box. The flames died as soon as it was lifted, and she shook off the dirt before attaching it to the back of her pack. “Still down with the kids. How’s that burrito looking, dawg?”

                “I finished it.” She stood up. “Are we going now?”

                “Yeah, but just one second.” Matthata motioned her over. “You’re really interested in all this demonology stuff, aren’t you?”

                Ayski nodded vigourously.

                “You’re like a little demonologist already. And you know what every demonologist needs?”

                Matthata had the silver flask in her hand. She unscrewed the cap in a quick motion and dribbled some holy water into a tiny glass bottle. She corked it, and handed it to Ayski with a grin.

                “A little holy water.”

                Ayski accepted it with an almost reverential care. She stared up at Matthata, eyes wide.

                “Go on, put it on your belt. It’s not gonna break.” Her grin stretched. “You feel cool yet?”

                “Y-yeah, yeah! Thanks, Auntum! I’ll take really good care of it, I promise.”

                “Thought you’d say that. Now listen,” She wagged a finger. “I know I told you holy water’s rare and all that, but that doesn’t mean it’s decoration. It’s a tool, and if, god forbid, you need to splash it in someone’s face, don’t even hesitate. You understand?”

                “How do I know when I’ll need to?”

                “When you think you need it, use it. I trust you to make that call.”

                Ayski nodded solemnly.

                “Good. I’m not saying you’re gonna need to use it any time soon, but just so you know, you know?” Matthata patted her shoulder and stood up. “Alright, that’s all. Time to hit the road!”

                She slung the pack over her back, and Ayski scrambled to do the same. She headed towards the bikes, and Ayski happily followed.

 

* * *

 

                They followed the trail of crosses to flatter terrain, and it was there that they caught sight of Phoenix. From a distance, the city looked normal; a square of tall, unremarkable office buildings in the centre of a suburbian grid. In the daytime, with the sun beating down on concrete, one could almost imagine people still came there, worked there, lived there.

                Matthata could imagine it, but she knew better. Huge cities like Phoenix were the first to fall when the plague hit, and few people were eager to return. She’d walked through Boston. She’d seen the dark buildings, the silent streets, the _bodies_ , and she couldn’t blame them for staying far away.

                They were nearing the first houses, now, and the damage immediately became more apparent. Ten years of wear and tear and sun and storm had taken their toll on these buildings, and only one in sight was left standing. Cars rusted in their driveways.

 Lawns were overgrown with shrubbery and pavements were cracked far beyond repair.

                Then she saw _the first one_ , and she grimaced. Splayed out on the curb, incomplete, radius and ulna stretched out towards the road.

                She turned, and saw Ayski looking at it too. Matthata pushed forwards on her bike.

                “We’re nearly there! Come on, kid!”

                But there was a second one. And a third one. And a fourth, and a fifth, and sooner or later Matthata knew she’d loose count - especially if they were heading towards the centre, as the crosses indicated. And she could see Ayski rubbernecking at every one of them, her eyes wide with horrified fascination.

                Matthata was suddenly regretting her choice to bring her along. If she’d known they were going to track the vampires into a city, she’d have left Ayski in the California Camps. Brought her a cool souvenir – a vampire fang or something – like she used to. That would’ve been better.

                Well, hindsight was 20/20. She’d check in with Ayski later, but there was no use thinking about it now. And then she pushed it aside completely, because she’d noticed something.

                “That house.”

                “What?”

                Matthata took her feet off the pedals and glided to a stop. Ayski braked behind her.

                “What is it, Auntum?”

                The house in question was one of the more dilapidated on the street, and as she looked closer it was clear it wasn’t all from the mere passage of time. An entire wall had been knocked in, and the roof was collapsed. Torn bedsheets covered the broken windows.

What had caught her eye, though, were the crosses. There were two of them, flanking the doorway. The door itself was lying on the yard, torn off its hinges.

Matthata could feel her hackles rising as she looked at the sight. Her hand reached down and unhooked a stake fastened to her belt.

                “Auntum?”

                She looked over and saw Ayski looking up at her, eyes wide. She put a hand on her shoulder.

                “Watch the bikes for me, will ya? I gotta check something out.”

                Slowly, she advanced on the house, eyes peeled for trouble. She could see the remains of a campfire on the lawn, bricks arranged in a circle around grey ash. Three cinderblocks had been placed next to it, facing the street.

                Vampires didn’t light fires. Someone had been here, not more than a few days ago. City dwellers? Maybe, or maybe they were also on the trail of the vampires.

                She stepped over the door, where a great splintering crack ran down the middle of the wood. She had a bad feeling about the people who lit that campfire, whoever they were.

                The garage door was collapsing under its own weight; rusting metal folded and broke into jagged spines, sticking out at Matthata.

Tetanus. Fun. She took one look at it and decided to try her luck with the door.

Matthata entered slowly, one foot in front of the other, stake in hand. Shafts of light sprinkled down from the broken roof, their paths revealed by the dust dancing in the air. They dimly illuminated the room, and she could make out an old couch, a kitchen counter, a shattered glass table turned on its side… but nothing and no one.

                Most of the debris collected in the far corner, a pile of wood and bricks speckled with sunlight. There was something poking out of the bottom… a hand? Matthata moved in closer.

                “Hello? Can you hear me?”

                The hand stayed motionless, and as she moved closer she could see it was covered in pale dust. She sighed, but as she moved to investigate elsewhere _it reached up and grabbed her ankle_.

                Matthata jerked back, but it held on in a death grip. She twisted and pulled again, wincing as she felt nails drag along her skin. Once she was free she jumped away, then stumbled a little as she landed on her foot.

                Shit, that hurt. Blood was already soaking into her socks, and she could see red shining on the dusty fingers. She watched them retreat into the rubble.

                It would be back, but while it was gone Matthata tore off a piece of her sleeve and wrapped it tightly around her ankle. Then she hobbled back as the pile of rubble began to move, stake in hand.

                An inhuman noise came from within the rubble. Bricks shuddered and fell away, and dust came down in puffs from the ceiling. Two hands broke free and began to pull a body out of the rubble, their wasting muscles straining from the effort. Then a face with glowing eyes, and bared teeth.

                Matthata steeled herself. Ready, ready…

                Its torso emerged. It was shirtless and pale, covered in a thousand cuts and scrapes. None of them bled – it looked more like clay than skin, like somebody had taken its chest and poked holes in it, dug fingers into its flesh and pulled. It stumbled out of the rubble, legs buckling as they took a step and slamming their head into the floor. In almost the same moment its neck jerked up and it fixed its unblinking eyes on her again.

                Then it scrambled to its feet and charged. Matthata dodged it easily, and it slammed into the opposite wall. She grabbed its shoulders – cringing at the clammy, squishy skin – and threw it towards the doorway. It landed half in, half out; half in sun, half in shadow.

                It screamed and gurgled and scrambled back, but Matthata planted a foot on its back and shoved it forwards. She held it down as it started to smoke, as its skin started to crumble into a fine white ash, as its cries died away, away, into silence.

                Matthata pulled away, a grim expression set on her face as she dusted off her hands.

                “Auntum?”

                She turned to see Ayski standing by the bikes.

                “It’s safe now, kid. It’s okay.”

                Ayski darted over to her side, her eyes fixed on the ashes on the driveway. “Was that… a vampire?”

                “Yeah. It was a pretty starved one too – not a pretty sight, those.”

                “Was it the one we’re looking for?”

                “No. One starved vampire isn’t the guy who’s been nailing everyone to crosses. We’re looking for a smarter one.” She looked down at Ayski, who was leaning up against her leg. “You okay, kid? It’s scary, I know, but I’ll deal with it.”

                “I’m not scared.”

                Matthata snorted. “Alright. Well, in that case-“

                “You’re bleeding!”

                She pointed at her ankle, where blood had soaked through the white fabric. Matthata shrugged it off.

                “It’s fine.”

                “Don’t you need a bandaid? Or disinfectant? I have a first aid kit in my-“

                “That takes time. I’ll do that stuff later.” She brushed past Ayski and jumped on her bike. “Sunlight’s a wasting and we’ve got vampires to catch! Come on!”

 

* * *

 

                They rode on. Matthata’s ankle stung at first, but in time it faded to an ache, and she forgot about it. She’d had three of her fingers reattached after brawling with a unicorn; a few scratches didn’t faze her in the slightest.

                Also, unicorns were worse than demons and nothing could convince her otherwise. At least demons were fun. They were lucky they had such sharp horns, because their sense of humor was duller than a butter knife.

                But enough about stupid glorified horses. They were approaching downtown now, and she had to pay attention.

                Skyscrapers loomed above their heads, casting shadows over most of the road. Matthata stayed firmly in the sunlight, looking down at the ominous cracks on the bases of the buildings. They’d stood for ten years, she told herself. They’d stand for another day.

                There was something more concerning, though. Remember how more than a million people lived in Phoenix?

                She didn’t see them anywhere. Unlike the other cities she’d had the misfortune of visiting, its streets were eerily clear of bodies and she didn’t quite know why. The crosses had disappeared too, and Matthata was only following the road now. It was probably the right way, but it made her feel uncertain. She didn’t like it.

                They rode for a time like that, until Matthata found something. At the base of one of the many grey skyscrapers that lined the streets, there were two crosses. Above the doors, there was a mark in red.

                “There you are,” Matthata said as she slowed. “I think we’re here, Ayski.”

                “We are?”

                “Skyscaper, weird crosses, mark of Jaggia the Plague above the doors? Yeah, I’d say we’re here.”

                “What are we gonna do?”

                “I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna knock some heads together.” She grinned at Ayski. “You can stay outside if you want.”

                Ayski shook her head. “No, I wanna come! If that’s okay.”

                “You’ve got guts, kid. I like it. Alright.”

                There was a pause. “Alright?”

                “Don’t mind me. Just getting a look.” She pointed a few stories up, where purple fabric was billowing out of the windows. “I think they’re there.”

                Ayski nodded. “Yeah.”

                “Hmm… I think we’ve got enough rope.”

                “Rope? Wait, are we gonna climb up there?”

                “Oh, yeah, I’d much rather climb. Wouldn’t you?” She took off her backpack and started rifling through it. “Otherwise we’d be going up some narrow stairwell, nowhere to run and no way to see how close we are to a huge pack of vampire cultists.”

                “Oh… I’d much rather that. But can you even climb that?”

                “I can, don’t worry.” She pulled out a coil of thick orange rope. “You stay here and belay me, and I’ll pull you up once I’m there. Sounds good?”

                “Yeah!”

                “Awesome. Let’s do this.”

 

                They headed to the side of the building and set up. Matthata tied herself up to the rope and moved to help Ayski, only to find she was already ready to go.

                “Hey, this is pretty good.” Matthata said as she checked the belay device. “When’d you learn how to climb like a pro?”

                “There’s an old climbing centre near the California Camps. Ben took me a few times while you were out on a mission.”

                “Ah. Well, no help needed from me, then. Nice job kid.”

                Ayski couldn’t contain the grin that spread across her face.

                “Just one thing.” Matthata reached down and hooked her backpack to Ayski’s belt. “This’ll keep you anchored to the ground in case I fall. I won’t, but I don’t want you to go flyin’ off into space in case I do.”

                She giggled. “Okay.”

                “Other than that, everything looks good! You ready?”

                She took position. “I’m ready!”

                “Alright. I’m climbing!”

                “Climb on!”

                From the ground to the first window was the furthest stretch by far. Luckily, a crack snaked up from the ground and ran diagonally to the first ledge. She put her fingers in it, breathed, and pushed up.

                After a few seconds of wild scrabbling, she fell back on her butt. Matthata bounced back up.

                “Whoopsie! Heh, good thing I got that out of my system now, right?”

                “I believe in you, Auntum!”

                Matthata gave her a thumbs up before returning to the wall. This might be more difficult than she thought.

                She tried again, and this time it held long enough for her to grab onto the window ledge. She got one, two hands above her and pulled herself up. With a couple huffs and puffs and choice words, she got herself sitting on the edge.

                She grimanced. It was shallower than it looked, and covered with broken glass from the window. She looked inside, and saw a decaying office building, brown papers stuck to the rotting carpet and ceiling sagging from water damage. It was hot outside, but moist, chilling air exhaled from the window.

                Matthata shivered. She found a thick, metal thing just inside the window and attached a carabiner to it. Then she stood and reached for the next floor.

                It got easier after the initial effort, and Matthata made good time as the sun began its descent. Once her foot slipped and her heart caught in her throat, but she recovered quickly. She reached the storey with the purple flags, and then climbed up two more windows after that.

                Her ankle was killing her by the time she flopped up onto the final ledge, but otherwise that went pretty well, right?

                After a few moments, she pulled herself through the window. She paused before she put her feet down; she could see a gaping hole in the centre of the floor and the ceiling. Below her: voices.

                They were so quiet as to be inaudible, but Matthata still felt a shiver run down her spine. She’d found her vampires, at least.

                Now it was time to pull up Ayski. She gently tested her weight on the floor, and then secured the rope. After clearing out some broken glass sticking up from the window, she was ready.

                Ayski was pretty light, and it was easy work to help her up. Matthata found her eyes drawn towards the holes in room.

                They lined up. Did the vampires make them? Why would they do that? And what were they talking about down there?

                Matthata saw two hands appear on the ledge. Once Ayski’s head popped up, she put a finger to her lips. Ayski’s eyes widened and she didn’t make a sound as she crawled through the window. Matthata gave her a thumbs up.

                Wait, where was her bag? Oh… right, it was still at the bottom. She probably should have planned that better.

                Oh well, hindsight was 20/20. She motioned Ayski over to the edge of the hole. Once they were at the edge, Matthata finally caught sight of the vampire cult itself.

                Illuminated by candlelight, six purple robed figures worked around a red circle that perfectly aligned with the holes in the floor. The voices were a deep chanting sound – Latin, it sounded like. One of the figures had a robe with gold trim, and as she watched closer she could see it moved more… fluidly than the others.

                One tripped on its robe and lay still. The cult leader broke the chant.

                “Now, now,” He said in a low, soft voice. “You behave yourself. We’re civilized peoples.”

                The robed figure snarled as it crawled to its feet, and Matthata was reminded of the starved vampire in the debris. That’s what they were. Starved vampires.

                All except for the figure in gold, it seemed. He was the only problem; if she could just take him out quickly, she could deal with the others. But how to take him out…

                “It is done. Go.” Matthata watched the plain robed figures stumble out of view. With growing incredulity, she watched gold trim walk to the centre of the circle, sit down, cross his legs, and bow his head.

He was almost directly under them. Opportunity wasn’t just knocking at the door; it was screaming in her face. This was going to be easier than she thought, and she’d look pretty cool for Ayski.

                Matthata rose, and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey,” She whispered, a big grin across her face. “Watch this.”

                She took out her trusty stake, and she leapt off the edge. The gold trim of the vampire was rushing up to meet her, and then-

                Everything went wrong. Matthata knew a great many things, you see, and she knew about the water damage as she climbed up the building. She knew, after ten years of decay, that the building might not have been in the best condition to handle a sudden drop of weight on a very small surface area. But in that moment she leapt, she wasn’t thinking about that. In that moment, she was only thinking about how awesome she was going to look coming out of nowhere and staking that vampire in front of Ayski.

                That was not what happened. Matthata hit the vampire, and there was a great crack as the floor crumbled beneath them. Pain shot up her ankle as she landed in a pile of dust and debris, and the vampire was gone.

                Shit. Where’d he go?

                “ _Hello there, hunter_.”

                It came from behind her. And she moved to get up, she moved to strike, but the more she tried, the more she felt a great weight on her shoulders, pulling her down. Magic, powerful magic. Oh, this was not good.

                Where was Ayski? She struggled to look up. From the edge of her vision, she could see a gold-trimmed robe come into view.

                “Now where did you come from? I didn’t notice you come in. No, I didn’t notice you at all.”

                Matthata heard sounds from behind her. Gurgling and snarling, coming closer, closer-

                “Back!” The gold-robed figure barked. “Get back! Not this one.” His voice slipped back into that soft tone, that voice that seemed to add an extra ten pounds to her shoulders. “Now, you. I haven’t seen you before. You’re not from here, are you?”

                She said nothing, but gripped her stake until her knuckles turned white.

                “It’s okay. I can’t leave this desert. I’m just… curious.”

                Finally, Matthata’s arms gave out. She collapsed onto her elbows.

                “What’s your name, hunter?”

                “M-Matthata.”

                “That’s an interesting name. Matth-hat-a. Hmm.” He paused, as if mulling it over. “You know, Matthata, you got close. I haven’t had such a bold attempt on my life in five thousand years.”

                He was old. He was so old. Shit, shit, shit-

                “You’re quite skilled, aren’t you? For a mortal. Yes…”

                Matthata grunted. She tried to crawl forwards, her face turning red from the effort-

                “I want to ask you something, Matthata.”

                “W-what?”

                “Why did you come here? I assume this wasn’t the intended outcome when you set off.” His voice lowered. “Was it the thrill of the hunt? I know that well.”

                “No. It was… to stop you-“

                “Oh, but why did you _really_ come? It wasn’t for a handful of humans in tents. They come and go; they lead their lives, bringing no trouble their way - if they can help it.” Fabric folded as the figure kneeled down. “But you. You don’t settle for that life, do you? You welcome trouble, you welcome challenge. You heard about me, and you came. To test yourself.”

                I too test myself. Jaggia tests me, and they reward me handsomely. And one day, he will let me leave this desert.”

                Matthata cringed. This guy was a nut. A nut who was about to kill her.

                “So, I want to ask you something. Would you too like to be tested?” He leaned in closer; Matthata could see teeth glistening in her periphery. “A new life. Filled with excitement, I promise. You can ask my followers.”

                She heard a stray snarl from behind. “They don’t- they don’t look like you can ask them for anything.”

                “Oh, they’re very chatty when I want them to be.”

                “That… doesn’t sound like a great life.”

                “You don’t understand yet. I can show you.”

                “What about-“

                “No questions.” His teeth hovered inches from her neck, quivering impatiently. “Come on. Say it. Say it.”

                Matthata turned away. And then she jerked her hand up and splashed holy water directly into his face. He let out a terrible screech, stumbling back and gripping his melting face. The great weight fell away from Matthata’s shoulders and she sprung up.

                Ayski, where was Ayski? There- she was still at the edge!

                “Get out of here!” Matthata screeched. “Get out! You’ve gotta-“

                Then the vampire lunged for her neck, and she could speak no more. Half a second later, five more vampires came at her from behind, and it was all over.


	3. Chapter 3

                It was all over, and far away in the Mindscape, Alcor felt it. Funny. An apocalypse could leave him cold, but somehow _her_ death never failed to affect him. Even when she wore a stranger’s face, and even when he knew she’d come back, and even when he couldn’t bring himself to care about anything else, he felt it.

                Maybe he should have met this face. She sounds interesting.

                …

                Sounds interesting.

                Sounds.

                Why… why was that present tense?

 

* * *

 

                At first, Ayski thought this was some sick prank. Like the time Matthata faked having some huge coughing fit, went down on one knee crying dramatically about how the plague was getting her, oh no! It was fake. It wasn’t funny, but it was _fake_. And this was too, right?

                Right?

                It had to be, she’d looked so confident about it - she’d _freaking winked_ at her before she dropped off the ledge! Matthata always knew what she was doing! She was fine!

                _She was dead oh god she was dead she was dead she was dead_

                As Ayski stood frozen, voices drifted up from the hole. “Such a shame. Such promise. Ah, well. I enjoyed her all the same. What do you think?”

                “Even if she won’t serve Jaggia in life, she will be a worthy sacrifice to them.”

                “Hah. A worthy sacrifice indeed. That’s right.”

                “Pater?”

                “Speak.”

                “Do you think she came alone?”

                Ayski felt a chill run right up her spine.

                “I do wonder. Go check.”

                She backed away from the hole, shaking like a leaf. This was real, this was real and she had to get out of here now. She grabbed a hold of the rope, leaned her head out of the window-

                That was so high. And it was so dark, too; the sun was setting and the buildings cast everything below them into dark shadow. It looked like a bottomless pit, and what if the rope broke, and there was no one to belay her and she’d just fall to her death. But she couldn’t stay here. They’d kill her! What was she supposed to do?

                Ayski could feel a sob hitch up her throat. In the midst of her swirling thoughts, however, something came to her. A snippet of advice, heard time and time again over a warm campfire.

                “Breathe, kid. It's okay to take a moment, okay? You gotta remember that when stuff goes wrong, ‘cuz nothing gets you killed faster than panic. Seriously. It’s the worst monster you’ll ever fight.”

                Breathe. She had to breathe. In and out. In, out. In… out.

                Now think.

                She picked up her bag from the floor. So she couldn’t go down the way she came, and she certainly couldn’t go downstairs… what about upstairs?

                She looked at the moulding stumps of concrete leading up into darkness. Better than vampires.

                Ayski climbed as quickly as she dared on the slick steps. She could hear something behind her; footsteps? Her heart rate quickened, and she tried to breathe.

                When she reached the next floor, she could see the light was fading fast. Orange sunlight shone through the windows and hit the opposite wall, leaving everything else in darkness. She wasn’t safe here. She had to keep moving.

                Up and up she went, higher and higher. Sometimes the stairs were missing a few steps, or sometimes they’d crumble a little under her feet. As she went higher, the building began to groan, and wind whistled through the broken windows. Each floor was a little dimmer than the last.

                She kept breathing, and she kept going.

                Finally, Ayski reached a door at the top of the stairs. It was heavily rusted, and there were marks where the handle used to be. She pressed on it lightly, not wanting to make too much noise. It moved, but it didn’t open.

                Ayski grimaced, and then shoved it with her shoulder. It came off the hinges and fell to the ground with a great clatter. She cringed away; that was loud.

                But she felt warm sunlight on her skin, and she turned back to see the setting sun in front of her, and the darkening skies above. She was on the roof, and they couldn’t hurt her here. Not until the sun set, anyway.

                She stepped away from the door. Okay, what next?

                Garlic. Ayski took her pack off and dug around for the baggie. Once she had them she worked quickly, all too aware of the dying sunlight. She used quite a lot more garlic than she’d been taught to, but she figured that Matthata would understand given the circumstances.

                _Matthata_ … Ayski grabbed a fistful of chopped garlic and threw it at her feet. She took her position inside the circle, unfastened the holy water around her belt and gripped it tight as she stared at the doorway. It was so dark now; even pebbles cast long shadows, and there was an utter blackness leading into the building, with no way to tell what was lurking within.

                And she was here, on the top of a building filled with vampires as night fell. Alone.

                _Alone_. Ayski tried to breathe, but a sob hitched in her throat and she covered her mouth. Matthata might be dead. She might actually be dead. Oh my god. What was she going to do?

                She knew what the official plan was. Well, ‘official’ being what Matthata used to tell her back when she was very young, and very scared whenever she left on one of her missions.

                “Hey, we’ve got plenty of friends down in the California Camps, haven’t we? We take care of each other, and God forbid if anything happened to me, they’d take care of you. But don’t worry, nothing’s gonna happen to me. I’m invincible!”

                Ayski remembered laughing, but she didn’t find it very funny now. Maybe it wasn’t ever a joke to Matthaha.

                She just… dove off the edge. And she _winked._ Did she even have a plan? What was she thinking?

                Ayski… didn’t know. She didn’t ever know what was going on in Matthata’s mind, and now, she might never find out. Never talk to her again. Never see her face. Never hug her, never sit around the campfire, never ever again hear another one of her amazing stories… oh, what was she going to do without Matthata?

                _What was she going to do_?

                She tried to breathe. She really did. But there was too much fear, too much panic, too many thoughts swirling around in her head, and there was nobody to put their arm around her and tell her everything was going to be okay.

 

* * *

 

                After an eternity up on the rooftop, Ayski thought she heard something. A crash? She wiped her eyes and crawled over to the edge to look.

                She saw a light. It was small from such a distance, but it was there, and it was moving steadily down the street. She frowned; if it was moving, somebody was carrying it. Who would that be? She had to get a closer look.

                Her backpack sat nearby. She rifled through it for a pair of binoculars – oh, please don’t say they’re in Matthata’s pack, please please please – aha! Once she had them in hand, she crawled back to the edge and focused in.

Blurry. She twisted the knob one way- blurrier. Other way.

                 There it is. There they were, the six vampires from… from before. Two were holding torches. Three were supporting a cross, holding it by the crossbeams and the longer end. One walked in front, the one with gold trim. And the cross… there was somebody on it. Ayski felt a rush of dread as she realised who that someone had to be, but then she saw it move.

                The cross twisted, and the three vampires stumbled to catch it before it fell. The figure threw its weight to the other side and the edge dropped to the ground. The gold-trimmed vampire turned, and the three hoisted the cross up onto their shoulders. The figure on top kept struggling.

                The figure kept struggling. _Matthata_ kept struggling. She… was alive?

                She was alive!

Ayski put the binoculars down, letting out a sigh of deep relief she didn’t realize she was holding. Oh my god, maybe she really was invincible! But no – she was in trouble! She had to do something!

For once, Ayski had to save Matthata. Maybe she should be nervous, terrified out of her mind, but Ayski was too happy to know that there was still a chance. For Matthata, she’d do it. For Matthata, she’d do anything.

                But wait. Breathe. She needed a plan. She looked through the binoculars and counted: six vampires outside. That was all of them, which meant she could go downstairs.

                Unless there were more? Maybe there were others guarding the building… maybe. Ayski frowned. What did Matthata say about vampires again?

                “Three things get a vampire running for the hills, Aysk: holy symbols, garlic and sunlight. First letters of each one spell HUGS – close enough, anyway. So if you ever see a vampire, give’em some HUGS!”

                HUGS. Ayski bent down and picked up a handful of garlic. She squeezed it between her fingers, and then rubbed it down her arm, on her front, over her neck. The smell was overpowering, but that was a good thing. If it smelled bad to her, it had to be unbearable for a vampire.

                Now, it was time to save Matthata. Ayski shouldered her pack and turned towards the door. She unhooked her flashlight from the side, and she turned it on. She breathed, and she entered the darkness.

                She thought the stairs were perilous before. They were so much worse now. The wetness glistened under the light of her flashlight, and she slipped several times, falling hard on her butt with no rail to catch herself on. Every room was as dark as the next, and she took great care not to shine her flashlight out of the windows. And everywhere the light did not touch, there was the ever-present threat, the cold wind on her neck like breath, the shadows playing on the walls like figures. Even with the garlic, Ayski was dreadfully aware of how vulnerable she was, one little girl stumbling about where she did not belong.

                Each floor was so similar to the next, and she ached for some sign of progress. She searched every window for a rope; she found none, but found one with the bottom wall entirely ripped out. A chill passed over her as she realised this was where the rope had hung, but no more.

                The vampires ripped it out. If she’d been climbing down when they did… she dreaded to think about it. Ayski continued quickly to the next floor.

                Two more down, and Ayski tiptoed into the very heart of the vampires’ operation. It was nothing like the other floors; human bones were strewn across the floor, and purple fabric was hung outside every window to block the light. Unlit candles were crudely secured to the walls, and there was what remained of a red circle in the centre of the room. Most of it was obscured by a hole.

                Another down, and dust hung heavy in the air. A big pile of debris sat at the bottom of the hole. Some of it was splattered with a dark red substance… _blood_.

                Ayski slipped again in her haste to move on. She was getting close to the bottom; she could hear the whistle of the wind and the moans of the building die away to eerie silence. Finally, the stairs opened up to a bigger room, with what was left of a glass door looking out into the street.

                She turned off the flashlight. She walked very slowly towards the door. All was silent. All was… still. Glass crunched under her feet.

                Once she was outside, she looked for the light. It was gone, but she remembered which way it was going. She could trail it – she’d have to make sure she was unseen, of course.

                Oh! Was it still there? Yes, Matthata’s backpack was sitting just behind the building. A trail of rope lay near it. Ayski coiled it quickly, attached it to the backpack and lifted it up – _too heavy too heavy put it down put it down­_ \- whew. Okay, that wasn’t going to work.

                Ayski thought for a moment, and then wheeled Matthata’s bike over to the backpack. She struggled to lift it onto the seat, but once it was there she secured it and guided it inside the building across the street. Backpack and bike sat there, just out of the moonlight.

                Matthata could pick them up later.

                She cast one last look over her shoulder as she headed back into the road. Ayski picked up her bike where it lay on the tarmac, swung a leg over the frame and put a foot on the pedals.

                She stared down the dark street

                She breathed in, and she breathed out.

                And then she pushed off.

 

* * *

 

                As soon as she could, Ayski pulled off the main path and followed a smaller street as she headed into the suburbs. If the vampires came this way, they’d probably come back that way too, and she didn’t want to ride right into them.

                That seemed like a smart thing to do. She was doing smart things, right? She turned her head to the side, and suddenly remembered there was no one to ask.

                Well, she was pretty sure she was being smart about this. She’d ask Matthata later. Knowing her, she’d probably want to know every single detail- hey, finally it was Ayski with the cool story to tell! Even though it wasn’t really that cool. She climbed up a building and cried. It wasn’t like the crazy stunts Matthata pulled; it wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t really something Ayski wanted to think about, being up on that building all alone, with no way to get down, certain that Matthata was…

                Well, the story wasn’t the important part. The important part was getting Matthata back, and that was what she was going to do.

                She pressed on, into the desert. Pebbles jolted her bike as she maintained a healthy distance from the interstate, her eye on a tiny flicker of light on the horizon.

                What was she going to do when she got there? This was flat land; there was no way to really sneak up on them. Maybe the bushes… no, that was silly. She’d have to leave her bike… though they might be able to outrun her even if she was riding it. How fast were vampires?

                As Ayski was mulling it over, the light flickered and vanished. She stopped dead when she saw it was gone – where’d they go? Did they see her?

                She froze, watching, waiting. One long minute passed before she moved again. Seriously, where did they go?

                Ayski pushed off on her bike again, moving slowly. She kept her eyes trained on the highway, but she didn’t see _anything_. It was like they disappeared into thin air.

                Gradually, she made her way towards where the light had been. She could see something on the other side of the road, a tall, shadowed pole. No, not a pole. A cross.

                It stood alone, unlike the other crosses she’d seen. And unlike the other crosses, there was someone hanging from it, limp and absolutely still.

                Ayski’s heart caught in her throat. All of a sudden, she did _not_ want to go over there. This wasn’t a story. This wasn’t a game. All of a sudden, she knew that if she went over there, if she went over there and saw what they did, what they did to her- no, no, no. She didn’t want to see. Please, she just didn’t want to see.

                But she had to go over there. She had to see. Maybe she was still alive? She couldn’t just leave her there!

                Ayski breathed. She hesitated one moment more, and then she pushed off, pedaling faster even when her legs felt so weak.

                The figure grew closer, and she slowed down. A few feet from the cross, she skidded to a halt, and stepped off.

                “H-hello?”

                The figure’s head was bowed. When Ayski spoke, she saw it turn in her direction.

                “You’re… you’re alive!” Ayski stumbled at the surge of relief that flooded through her. “Oh, I was so worried! After you jumped, I saw you- Why did you-? No, no, you don’t have to talk. Oh my god, your hands… h-here, let me-“

                She reached up. And Matthata, who had been hanging there so still, _moved_. Matthata lunged for her, stopped just short by her restraints. Ayski yelped and scrambled back and Matthata followed her, teeth bared, every fibre of her being struggling to free herself from the cross and _get to her_. She growled, and saliva dripped from her pale chin, catching the light as it fell to the ground below.

                Ayski watched this display with wide eyes. “Auntum?”

                There was no pause, no hint of recognition. She could see Matthata’s face, but it was all wrong. Her features were scrunched up into a snarl, her cheeks were hollow and her eyes cold pinpricks. Two long teeth jutted out from her gnashing jaws, and on her neck she could see two dark marks.

                It was Matthata, but it wasn’t. She was… gone.

                Ayski clenched her fists. No. No, no, no!

                “No! Come on, you gotta snap out of it! Auntum, Matthata, it’s me!” Ayski stood as close as she dared. “It’s Ayski! I’m your niece! Come on, you’ve gotta remember!”

                Matthata only seemed to get more desperate. The cross creaked behind her as she strained for Ayski’s throat.

                “We’ve got to go home, remember?” Ayski blinked back tears. “Back to the California Camps? And… you’ve gotta come with me! I-I need you to come with me. I can’t- without you, I can’t… I can’t just loose you like this! You’re my family! You’re all I have! Please, just… stop it. Please.”

                But Matthata didn’t stop it. Not a drop of recognition, not a shred of emotion, nothing but emptiness and hunger from the vampire on the cross. She was gone. She was utterly gone.

                Ayski stepped back. Looked down. She was breathing hard, but she couldn’t catch her breath.

                Never, never in her wildest dreams had Ayski imagined it ending like this. She’d thought it was going to be cool, going on mission. She was so happy Matthata was finally trusting her like this. She thought it was going to be cool watching Matthata face off against a cult of vampires, just like her stories, but… they’d taken Matthata from her.

                _They’d taken Matthata from her_.

                Ayski’s expression darkened. “They’re gonna pay for this.”

                Her voice was so quiet, so distant, so blank. The words came without her even meaning to speak. The emotion came after; a rising tide of black, choking anger.

                “They did this to you. They’re gonna pay for this.” She stepped back again. “I’m going to kill them. We came here to kill them, and I’m going to do it. They’re not gonna do what they did to you to _anyone else_. I promise.”

                She could still hear the vampire snarling and guttering above her. She didn’t look. She couldn’t bear to look.

                “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve this, and I wish I knew how to help you, but I don’t. Maybe you do, but I…” Ayski shook her head. “I don’t know. I should just go. I-I love you, Matthata. I love you so much.”

                She turned away from the shadowed figure on the cross, and wandered away, her footsteps slow, unsure. She reached her bike, and she looked back.

                She hesitated. She wiped her eyes. Then she breathed, and she pushed off, down the road, alone. Soon Ayski was no more than a speck under the horizon, and the shadowed figure was still.

                Time passed. Dawn began to break, and the first few rays of light revealed another shadowed figure standing underneath the cross.

                The sun was rising. The vampire on the cross made a noise as it began to peek over the horizon. The figure turned to look at the sun, then pressed a hand to her leg.

                Then they vanished into thin air.


	4. Chapter 4

Make it stop.

The frost in her veins. Sluggish. Clinging. Tingles down her… but nothing. Dull. Numb.

                The numbness. Clenched her fist. Bones popped, and it shot up her… but nothing.

                Nothing. Emptiness. She felt so, so empty. A yawning hole where… and nothing made sense, nothing on her senses though she could see, nothing though she could hear, nothing she could understand. And she wanted to understand again. She wanted… back.

                Make it stop! _Make it stop_ …

                …

                Just make it stop.

                …

                …?

                What was…?

                Smell?

                Burning. Every breath… burning. Like fire. She was too cold, now she was far too hot. Every second… stood there, it burned. Too close. Get away. Just get away! Get away!

                …didn’t leave. And still it burned. Make it stop! Make it stop!

                Make it stop!

                Make it stop!

                MAKE IT STOP!

                And it was gone. …Faded. There was nothing to focus on anymore, nothing to… nothing but emptiness. And she thought in half-thoughts about how to be whole again.

                That burn again. That brightness, sending tingles down her… and she knew she had to leave. _Get away_. She tried… but nothing.

                _Get away_.

…touched her… and… away. Darkness, cold darkness. And that _smell_ …

                And she knew how to understand again. She bit, and she clawed, and she could feel… coming back. She could feel it coming back. She could feel the dirt digging into her knees, the chill of the dark cave on her back, and she could feel the emptiness draining away.

                Matthata gasped.

                “ _Holy shit_.” She felt her face, feeling the contours of her features, squishing her nose and rubbing her cheeks. She stared down at her hands, clenching them and feeling them move under her command. “Holy shit.”

There were bandages on her wrists, soaked red with blood. Her hands, her arms were covered in it. Bits of grey fur were stuck under her nails, and when she looked down, she could see…

Well, it might’ve been a deer, once. Now it just lay there and stared at her with a glassy, dead eye. Matthata jumped back at the sight, and her stomach clenched as she became more and more aware of the strangeness of the situation. Where was she? What was happening? How’d she get here? Who the-

“Who the fffff-udge are you?” Matthata noticed a man and a little girl in a red cape sitting across from her. “No, no, wait, don’t tell me.” She pointed at the girl. “Vampire. Shit. And… I dunno. No protruding teeth, so… some sort of very junior vampire?”

The little vampire immediately burst out laughing. The man frowned. “Actually-“

“Don’t tell me! I haven’t seen those weird clothes outside museums… Gotta be something old.” Matthata made a face. “Fine, I’m stumped. What’s going on here?”

                “Man, Al. Five seconds in and she insults your teeth and your fashion sense?” She clapped him on the back. “That’s gotta be a new record!”

                Al rolled his eyes. “Why did I bring you along. Look, uh, we’re not here to hurt you or kill you or anything.”

                “Oh, great. Vampires that don’t want to eat me.”

                “You’re… making that sound like a bad thing.”

                “Of course it’s a bad thing. Because the follow up is ‘why are you keeping me alive?” She rubbed her hands together. “Look, it’s cold in here, and there’s a dead deer in front of me, so can we speed this up?”

                Lucy Ann nudged him. “Yeah, Al. Don’t keep her waiting.”

                “You are not helpful. Shut up. Anyway, we’re not keeping you alive, or anything like that. We saved you – well, I saved you, but that doesn’t – nevermind.”

                “Hmph.” Matthata clenched her fingers, trying to get the blood flowing. Her fingers were very pale… you know, from what she could see of the patches not covered in blood. ‘Don’t want to hurt you’ her ass. If she had her stake, or her holy water, or anything – oh, she’d show them.

                “Okay, so this is kind of complicated to explain…”

                And where was Ayski? Matthata cringed. Oh, she’d left Ayski. Bad. Bad. She had to get out of here; hopefully she’d holed up somewhere safe… where were they when they were attacked? For the life of her, Matthata couldn’t recall. It was like the whole day was fuzzy, and then she woke up here.

                And inbetween… Matthata shivered. God, she didn’t even know what to describe that as; it was like she stopped existing for a time, like she was walking around without a soul. That emptiness…

                She still felt it, a bit. It was in the back of her mind, but the more she thought about it, the deeper it yawned, the colder she felt. Matthata rubbed her hands together, but she wasn’t getting any warmer.

                No, she couldn’t warm herself. She needed _someone else’s warmth_.

                Matthata jolted up. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no…

                With pale (pale!) hands, she unwrapped the bandage around her wrist. She heard Al exclaim, but she got to the end and it fell away, revealing a _hole_. A bloodless, painless, perfect hole through her arm.

                This blood wasn’t hers. And Matthata couldn’t remember details, but she knew she was tearing at something, and she could see the fur caught in her fingernails, and the blood-

                Al grabbed her arm. “Hey-“

                “Get off of me!” Matthata scrambled to her feet, and she realised there was no fire here. No fire, no light, but she could see the shock on his face as plain as day. “What- what did you do to me?!”

                Lucy Ann stepped forwards. “We didn’t-“

                “No! No, I know what you did to me. Rhetorical question. I’m not an idiot.” She clenched her cold fists. “You turned me – you fucking turned me, and now, what is this? Some sort of cult? No! No, I’m not interested, not doing this, never doing any of this-“

                “Wait-“

                She backed towards the exit. “None of this. None of-“ She gestured at the blood, and the deer. “Any of this. Absolutely not. Veto. Take me off this mailing list-“

                “You can’t-“

                “I am not interested, and I’m going. Right now. Fuck you guys, and goodbye.”

                “Hey, wait!” Al called out. “You can’t leave!”

                The cave was getting brighter. She could hear birdsong up again. “I’m not staying!”

                “Wait! _Wait_!”

                Matthata froze. Two steps away from daylight, and she couldn’t move any closer if she tried. It was like someone had grabbed her very soul and held it in place.

                Oh.

                Oh, no.

                “Okay, stop,” Al said, slowly. “You can’t go outside, okay? You’ll burn up. And we didn’t turn you, we saved you. So can you just calm down for a second and let me explain? Please?”

                And just as quickly as it came over her, the feeling left, and Matthata could move again. She could throw herself right into the sunlight, right there, so close by. And she kind of wanted to, now, because choosing to turn around, choosing to face _him_ …

                “Please?”

                Matthata could feel that feeling at the edge of her mind, ready to take control again at any moment. So, while she still could, she chose to turn around, chose to look him in the eye and see the relief that came washing over his face.

                “Thank you. Thank you. I’m so sorry, but I couldn’t-“

                “I do know what you are.” Matthata said. She was smiling, even though she really, really wanted to cry. “Al… that’s Alcor, right? You’re the demon that owns my soul.”

                The relief came washing over his face, and then it washed right out. “Wh-what? How did you guess-?”

                “I didn’t guess. I knew. I always knew this was coming. Oh, _dammit_!” She kicked a rock. “Why here? Why now? Why have you suddenly decided, yep, this is the moment, I’m gonna fuck everything up for this person. Why?”

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What are you-?”

                “Last semester of college. I’m getting all ready to graduate after spending four years in the demonology program. Then they line us up, do a routine check to make sure you actually own your soul. It’s a graduation requirement, apparently. I don’t know. I wasn’t worried.”

                Alcor cringed. “I see where this is going.”

                “Yeah. Yeah, it was a bit of a sticking point.” Matthata clenched her fists. “And ever since then, I’ve had to live knowing that at any moment, you could just pop in and mess my life up. I was kind of hoping you’d forgotten about me – I definitely tried to forget about you – but here you are. And please, I just gotta know: who was the idiot who sold my soul, and is there a way I can go back in time and beat them with a demonology textbook? That heavy leather one where one entire chapter is just ‘DO NOT OFFER YOUR SOUL TO A DEMON’ written in caps over fifteen pages?”

                The demon stared at her for a long moment. He looked back to exchange glances with Lucy Ann, and then he turned to her. There was a shine in his eye, a sort of… panic?

                “What’s your name?”

                “Matthata.”

                “Alright, Matthata. It’s nice to meet you, and we should talk. Right now.”

 

* * *

 

                They sat in the cave, and they talked. Alcor – the Alcor the Dreambender, Matthata had to keep reminding herself – told her of how he sensed her dying out in the desert, and brought her into a cave to keep her safe. Told her that she was a Mizar, and he meant her absolutely no harm. She was basically his sister.

                “Yeah, but, how does that work? You’re a demon, and you’re not related to me.”

                “In a way, I mean, you could be. You’re the reincarnation of my sister, so who can say whether that means I’m your brother or not?”

                “I can say. Yeah, I had a brother, so this is kind of weird.”

                “No, I get that. It’s okay.” Alcor nodded. “Well, the point is, we do have a special relationship, you and I. And I’ve seen countless Mizars in my life, but none of them are quite like you.”

                Matthata grinned. “What? Cause I’m so awesome?”

                “No, no. I mean, you are awesome – what I’ve sensed from you is definitely a general sense of awesomeness – but that wasn’t what I meant.”

                Alcor leant forwards, wiped his brow. Next to him, Lucy Ann put a hand on his shoulder.

                “Uh… listen,” He continued, not looking her in the eye. “I’ve seen… countless Mizars in my life. Literally more than you could count. Generations upon generations of… amazing people, some of whom I become very close with, others not so, but always cycling, always changing, always living and dying while I…” He paused, and shook his head. “They’ve all been, up to this point, mortal. And then there’s you.”

                “Oh.” She looked down at her cold hands. “So… that’s why you came to see me. Because I got turned.”

                “No, no, no, that came out wrong.” He leaned forwards. “Oh, my stars – and if you hate me, it could be an eternity before I get to see another one! What are you doing, Alcor! Why can’t I make a good first impression like a normal person?!”

                Lucy Ann patted his shoulder. “Dude, you’re yelling at yourself. It’s not helping.”

                “It’s not, is it. Oh, I’m screwed. I am screwed.”

                “Hey, look, buddy,” Matthata scooted back. “You know what? I have never seen a demon act like you before, and it’s genuinely scaring me. So good job, right? Scaring people’s what you demons love!”

                “Ohhhh, and of course she’s a demonologist. The one profession that never ever trusts me.” He put his head in his hands, and wrapped his wings around his chest – wait, were those always there? “Of course. Of course. Of course!”

                Lucy Ann looked up at her. She raised an eyebrow.

                “What? He’s right, I absolutely do not trust him. For the record, I don’t trust you, either – I don’t trust vampires.” Matthata hesitated. “But now I am one. Oh, goddamn it.”

                “Look, Al, maybe there’s a favour you can do for Matthata that will help her trust you? What do you want the most right now?”

                “I want… no, I’m not doing that. Not that, either.” Matthata snapped her fingers. “Oh, wait, I have a great idea! You seem to hate the fact that I’m a vampire and guess what – I hate it too! So if you could, out of the goodness of your heart, with absolutely zero negative repercussions or ironic twists towards me, turn me back-“

                “No.” Alcor said.

                “Yeah, I expected that.”

                “No, I’d love to, but I can’t. You’re technically dead, and bringing people back from the dead isn’t something I can do.”

                “Ah.” Matthata nodded slowly. “So I’m really dead. I died. I’m basically a walking corpse.”

                “Yep. An immortal, walking demonologist corpse.” Alcor let out a half sob. “I’m stuck with a Mizar that’ll hate me until the heat death of the universe.”

                “Oh, god, I’m really dead. Ayski… what am I gonna say to Ayski? No, no, she shouldn’t see me.” She held out her bloody hands. “Not like this. Never like this. What am I gonna do? I’m a vampire now, this is… oh, god.”

                “You’re a vampire forever and I’m-“

                “Okay!” Lucy Ann stood up. “Guys, I am sorry, but I’m not dealing with two existential crisises at the same time. Can we just stop for a second? Like, let’s stop talking about all this heavy stuff and do something else. Literally anything else.”

                “What else are we gonna do?” Alcor moaned. “It’s all sunny out and I stuck us in a cave – why did I choose a cave? That’s so stupid-“

                “Wait.”

                Matthata held up her hand, and looked around the cave. She hadn’t really paid attention to where she was, but now she noticed old chalk marks on the walls. Books scattered on the floor, in puddles, their pages rotting and covered in yellowish cave sediment. A summoning circle was laid out a ways down the path, the glint of silver candlesticks drawing her eye.

                Some sort of cult gathering? Weird. Weirder still, she almost recognized this place.

                “Where are we?”

                “We’re in a cave.” Alcor blinked. “You probably knew that. Sorry, we’re, uh, somewhere in the Californian Isles? I didn’t look that closely before I tessered us.”

                “Look that closely?”

                “This is from your memories, Matthata. This is the place you wanted to be. So, where are we?”

                Matthata wandered over to the summoning circle. Though the candles were knocked over and the symbols had washed away, she still scuffed a hole in the chalk circle. She felt a shiver pass over her, like a breath from the cave.

                “This is from back when I was a kid. Back when me and my brother got sent to my uncle’s house over summer.”

                Alcor cracked a smile at that. “Man, some things never change.”

                “What?”

                “Don’t worry about it. So, this cave…”

                “We found it while we were exploring in the woods. It freaked my brother out, and we left.” She snorted. “It’s funny, it kinda freaked me out too, but now it’s so obvious it’s abandoned. I wonder what demon they were trying to summon.”  
                “It was me,” Said Alcor.

                “Oh.”

                “They were trying to sacrifice a child for eternal life, and so I took their souls and tied them together like rope.”

                “Oh.”

                “Swung it around a few times to get rid of the stringy bits, then I… what? What’s wrong, Lucy Ann?” He blinked. “Oh, yeah. First impressions. Um, I wouldn’t do that to you. Promise.”

                “No, you wouldn’t, huh.” Matthata stopped. “No, you wouldn’t?”

                “Of course not! I know you don’t believe a demon, but I’m definitely not here to harm you in any way.”

                “But you could. You very easily could. And, clearly, you’re not happy about me – I’m sure you’d love to start over again with another Mizar.”

                “What? I-“

                “You do want to start over again. You said it yourself: I’m an immortal, walking demonologist corpse. Honestly if I were you, I’d start over again.” She pointed a finger at him. “But you haven’t, even though that would be absolutely the normal, demon-y thing to do.”

                The ghost of a smile formed on Alcor’s face, like he was beginning to get where she was going with this. “I’m not a normal demon.”

                “That’s what everyone says about you. So…” She laughed a little to herself. “Look, I honestly can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I do have a favour you could help me with.”

                “What do you need?”

                “I have, um, a niece. And look, no deals, out of the goodness of your heart, without doing anything to her, anything at all… could you tell me, truthfully…” She cringed. “Is she still alive?”

                Alcor paused a moment. “Yes.”

                “Oh, oh, thank god.” Matthata let out a deep breath of relief. “Haha! You have no idea how worried I was, honestly. Oh, thank god. Where is she right now? Is she in danger?”

                “She’s safe. She’s heading back to the camps in Arizona.”

                “That’s good, that’s good.” Matthata crossed her arms. “Poor girl. Oh, I can’t believe I got myself killed on one of her missions. She’s smart though. Good head on her shoulders. She’ll be okay with the guys in the California Camps.”

                “She’s not going there.”

                Matthata stopped. “What?”

                “She intends to stay in Arizona and avenge your death.”

                Matthata… Matthata heard that, and she didn’t quite know what to say to that. “Oh,” She managed. “That’s bad.”


End file.
